In the Mindscape
by toumeiillusion
Summary: Gracie turns her head to stare as the room lights up with my blue flames. Her tear-stained face holds the look of a broken girl. "Then why don't we make a deal?" [Twelve Shots of Summer: Second Raid]


"Well, somebody's dreamscape went grey." I stay behind her, waiting for her to turn but she doesn't. She just sits there with her legs to her chest and doesn't acknowledge my presence. It's the same tactic her brother uses to try and get away from me. It's cute that they still think it will work.

"C'mon, doll, we both know you can hear me. Why don't we skip the part where we play pretend, hmm?"

"Go away, Bill." Gracie talks without moving and without inflection. Still, she's reacted and that's what I need. I float over her head and stop to face her. She shoves her head down into the space between her knees and her chest. This isn't how it should go, I know that. She never reacts so numbly and while I know something's been wrong with her, I never thought it bothered her this much.

She pushes off the floor and walks, but she doesn't get very far. She dreamt up a fairly closed off space, small enough to be a closet. She turns off a light and rummages around in boxes like she's looking for something. She's forgotten that you can just summon up things in the mindscape. Nothing needs to be physical.

Gracie stops suddenly and her outline looks back at me. She frowns and comes around to throw whatever is in her hands at me. "Go away! Leave me alone! I don't want you here and I don't want them here! I want everything to go away!"

"Yeesh. I think you need to calm down, doll. I haven't done anything-"

"Yet. You haven't done anything yet, but you always do. I can't take it anymore. Just disappear already…" Her voice goes quiet and I realize she's not talking to me anymore. With nobody else around, I know she's talking to herself. I try to get closer but she stops me, muttering under her breath. I watch as she moves her hand over her arm and run into her barrier until she lets it up.

"Why won't you leave me alone? Why do you do this every time?" I consider this as she looks up. "You already won. Why can't you just leave me alone now?"

"Let's just say I'm not done with the Pines family, doll. To be honest, you're still very useful to me. Keeping you hostage in your dreams keeps them under control, especially him. They care about you after all. They miss you." She turns her head and refuses to look at me again. It stays quiet in the little space until she lets out a tired sigh and falls onto her side.

"I just want to go back. I'll do whatever you want me to. Just let me go back." It's exactly what I've been waiting to hear. Gracie turns her head to stare as the room lights up with my blue flames. Her tear stained face holds the look of a broken girl.

"Then why don't we make a deal?"

[-/o\\-]

Her eyes open to the white of the hospital room and the sound of a heart monitor beeping. She blinks two, three times and takes in a breath. Her left hand twitches and then the right. Slowly, she turns her head to the side and sees the Pine Tree sitting there, head resting in his arms and leaning on the bed. Gracie's lips turn up in a small smile and she looks to the other side of the room. Shooting Star and Stan sit against a wall on the other side.

Finally, her eyes rest on me, floating at the foot of her bed. She's not surprised but she does look upset. Her eyes narrow and her smile is washed away. I can't blame her. I know what it's like to be in this position but my ability to care was taken away from me a long time ago. To me, this is all perfectly set up.

"Remember your end of the deal, doll. I'll let you have a little break for now but I'll be back. Until then." I wave a hand and disappear from her sight. I can only stay there in the physical for so long before I feel strange. Watching from the mindscape, I see them wake up. First the Pine Tree, then Shooting Star, and finally Stan. The nurses are called immediately and Pine Tree and Shooting Star throw their arms around the freshly awoken Gracie.

She seems happy but her eyes are far away. They won't know why, not until it's too late. They'll accept whatever excuses she makes and she'll make a lot of them. Anything to make sure her little deal doesn't get out. I know. I was there when it happened the first time and I'll be there when it happens again. I'll be there for every little thing she goes through two fold. Because I was there when I didn't know I was the reason and I'll be there now that I do.


End file.
